Silent firearm.



H. P. MAXIM.

SILENT FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. so, 1908.

Patented May 24, 1910.

' Inventor UNITED ST S HIRAM PERCY MAXIM, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTIOUT, ASSIGNOR TO MAXIM SILENT PATENT oFnroE.

FIREARMS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SIIZENT FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 24, 1910- Application filed November 30, 1998. Serial No. 465,051.

To all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Hartford, in the State'of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silent Firearms, of

,which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

, In the continued use of silencers for firearms-in which the energy of the powder gases isdissipated in rotary or whirling movement of the gases before they pass into the atmosphere, and in which a series of partitions, dlaphragms or Spreaders are supported by a shell or casing at the muzzle of the firearm, the rotary or whirling .movement of the gases taking place in the chambers formed thereby, the partitions, diaphragms or spreaders nearest the truermuzthe barrel of the firearm. are'exposedto the highest gas pressure, while those more remote from the muzzle are exposed to much less gas pressure. Lightness in the silencer can be secured by maklng the partitions, diaphragms or Spreaders in the zone of high gas pressure of suflicient strength to withstand such pressure and by making the partitions, diaphragms or Spreaders more remote from the muzzle of thinner and even of lighter material. It is found, however, that it is necessary to provide an abutment for the heavier and stronger diaphragms near the muzzle to-support them against the impact of the gases and to relieve from great pressure the successive lighter diaphragms, which are liable to be crushed eventually if the resistance is throughthem.

One object of'the present invention, therefore, is to provide such a construction of silencers of this character as shall be capable of withstanding the impact of the gases while at the same time the minimum of weight in the silencers is secured. Furthermore, in silencers of this character which are eccentric with respect .to the axis of the gun barrel, it is necessary to assure accurate alinement of the openings through the successive diaphragms for the passageof the projectile.

It is, therefore, a further object of this invention to rovide a construction b which diaphragms shall be secured without requir- Be 1t known that I, HIRAM PERCY MAXIM,

ing great labor in the assembling of the diaphragms and casing.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe actrated and in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an ordinary sporting rifle equipped with a silencer which embodies-the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in section and on a larger scale of the silencer shown in Fig. 1,'a por- Fig. 3 is a face view of one o the diaphragms, showing the recesses in the circumference thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of thasupporting shell or casing, showing the longitudinal key.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing there is secured to the exsuitable manner, as by screw threads, 2. cascular in cross section and of greater or less length as may be re uired and forms a support and inclosure or the series of single silencing devices or partitions or diaphragms or spreaders e by which the gases, which es cape at the muzzle of the barrel a, are comchambers formed by the diaphragms e, a rotary or whirling movement.

each single silencing device 6 is generally circular or annular with reference to the conchoidal in cross sect1on, an opening 6 bein formed for the passage of the 'projecti e." In the construction shown, such opening is eccentric with respect to the axis of the shell or casing. As is now well understood, the powder gases are directed by the frusto-conical portion of each diaphragm or spreader, or single silencin device, into the annular chamber formed by the diaphragm and acquire therein a rapid rotary motiorfin which their ener is dissipated. The diaphragms or sprea ers, as 6 nearest the muzzle of the gun are naturally subjected to the highest pressure of the gases, while those more remote from the muzzle are subjected to a considerably lower pressure. Those more remote from the .tion of the barrel being. also re resented.

ing'd, which is preferably substantially ciraxis of the shell or casing a, and is spiral or companying drawing in which it is illustremityofthe barrel a of the gun, in any pelled to acquire, within successive cells or v .In the embodiment of the invention shown muzzle of" the 11 may, therefore, be less capable of resisting high pressure than those nearer the muzzle and may be made of much lighter sheet steel than those near the muzzle, or may even be made of aluminum, while those nearer the muzzle are made of steel. However, should the diaphragms or spreaders nearer the muzzle rest directly against those more remote from the muzzle, so that the latter receive the pressure transmitted through the former, they would eventually be broken down. To obviate this, an abutment is formed in the shell or casing 03 to receive the pressure of the diaphragms or spreaders in the zone of high gas pressure. Such abutment may be variously formed, but as a convenient and inexpensive, but efiective construction, the shell or casing d, after the lighter diaphragms or spreaders e have been placed therein, is formed with an inner circumferential ridge or shoulder d, as by spinning, and against such abutment the heavier diaphragms or spreaders e rest. It will be understood that the number of heavier or stronger diaphragms or spreaders employed will depend upon the character of the gun to which the silencer is applied. For a light power gun it is suficient to provide one heavy, steel diaphragm or spreader 6 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, but with a gun of higher power two or more of the heavy steel diaphragms or spreaders may be re uired. Of course the number of the lighter iaphragms or spreaders employed will also depend upon the character of the gun to which the silencer is applied and the effect to be produced. In the construction shown in Flg. 2 space is provided within the shell or casing 03 for more than one heavy or strong diaphragm or spreader and a spacing sleeve (1 is introduced to hold the single diaphragm or spreader in place.

It will be understood that the provision of an abutment =for the heavier diaphragms or spreaders is equally desirable, whether the silencer be concentric with the axis of the gun barrel or eccentric with respect thereto. In the construction shown in the drawing, however, the silencer is eccentric and it therefore becomes desirable to provide means for readily assuring the accurate alinement of the openings e in the several diaphragms or spreaders with the bore of the gun barrel. For this purpose, in the construction shown, each of the diaphragms or s readers is provided in its circumference wit a keyway, as shown at e in Fig. 3, and the shell or casin d is provided with an internal longitudinal ridge or key d, which may be conveniently formed b rolling or pressing a suitably shaped tool into the outer wall of the casing. With this construction the diaphragms or s readers cannot be introduced lnto the she or casing except in their proper relative osition with the o enings' e in accurate a inement with the bore ofthe barrel a.

Iclaim as my invention:

1. A silencing device for firearms, comprising a shell or casing, a series of diaphragms or spreaders disposed in the shell or casing remote from the muzzle and forming a succession of chambers, each of the diaphragms or spreaders having an opening for the passage of the projectile, and a relatively heavy or strong diaphragm or spreader disposed in the shell or casing adj acent to the muzzle of the firearm and also having an opening for the passage of the projectile, the shell or casin having an abutment to resist the .forwar pressure of such heavier diaphragm or spreader, whereby the lighter diaphragms or spreaders remote from the muzzle of the firearm are relieved of the pressure of the heavier diaphragm or spreader.

2. A silencing device for firearms, comprising a supporting shell or casing, a series of diaphragms or spreaders disposed in the shell or casing remote from the muzzle and forming a succession of chambers, each of the diaphragms or spreaders having an opening for the passage of the projectile and forming an annular cell substantially conchoidal in cross section, and a heavier diaphragm or spreader disposed in the shell or casing adjacent to the muzzle of the firearm and also having an o ening for the passage of the projectile an also forming an annular cell substantially conchoidalin cross section, the supporting shell or casing having an abutment to receive the pressure of such heavier diaphragm or spreader, whereby the lighter dlaphragms or spreaders re- 105 mote from the muzzle of the firearm are relieved of the pressure of the heavier diaphragm or spreader.

3. A silencing device for firearms, comprising a supporting shell or casing, a series 110 of diaphragms or spreaders disposed in the shell or casing remote from the muzzle of the firearm, each of the diaphragms or spreaders formin an annular cell substantially conchoidal in cross section and having 5 an opening for the passage of the projectile, and a heavier or stronger diaphragm or spreader disposed in the shell or casin adjacent to the muzzle of the firearm an also forming an annular cell substantially con- 2o choidal in cross section and having an opening for the passage of the projectile,fthe supporting shell or casin having an interior circumferential ridge ormin an abutment to receive the pressure of suc heavier dia- 125 phragm or spreader, whereby the lighter diaphra s or spreaders remote irom the muzz e of the firearm are relieved of the pressure of the heavier diaphragm or spreader.

I i the shell or casing 4. A silencing device for firearms, comprising a supporting shell or casing and a series of diap ragms or spreaders disposed in the shell or casing and forming a succession of chambers, each of the diaphragms or spreaders having an opening eccentrically disposed for the passage of the projectile, having an interior ridge or ke and eac of the diaphragms or sprea ers having a key-Way to cooperate therewith.

5. A silencing device for firearms, comprising a supporting shell or casin and a series of diaphragms or spreaders is osed in the supporting shell or casing and orming a succession of chambers, each of the diaphragms or s readers forming an annular cell substantia y conchoidal in cross section and =havin an opening eccentrically disposed for t e passage of the projectile, the shell or casing having an interior ridge or key and each of the diaphragms or spreaders u having a key-Way to cooperate therewith. I This specification si ed and witnessed this 27th day of Novem er, A. 1)., 1908.

HIRAM PERCY MAXIM.

Signed in the presence of JOSEPHINE H. MAXIM, LENA'E; BERKOVITCH. 

